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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

I was in Liliw, Laguna province over the weekend for the "Tsinelas Festival", and after roaming the streets of Liliw the whole morning, we drove a few minutes away from the town center to a bridge. The bridge is at the boundary of Liliw and Majayjay, small highland towns nestled at the foothills of Mount Banahaw.

From the bridge, we looked down to a river where folks were swimming and preparing their picnic lunch. The aroma of grilled pork made us all hungry. :p

The water was clear, and I found out later, refreshingly cold! It was a very hot day, probably about 35 degrees C---I wished I brought some extra clothes so I could take a dip in the water.

I envy this girl---watched how she bravely managed the rocks and finally took a dive into the pool. She's a lucky girl to have a place like this to enjoy in the summer.

Clumps of bamboo trees provided cooling shades; fronds rustled and pattered in the summer breeze, singing a duet with the gentle rippling sound of the river.

This river is about 100 kilometers south of Manila, approximately 1.5 to 2-hour drive.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Life is filled with suffering, but it is also filled with many wonders, like the blue sky, the sunshine, the eyes of a baby. To suffer is not enough. We must also be in touch with the wonders of life. They are within us and all around us, everywhere, any time. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Thursday, April 25, 2013

This was my third visit to Zubuchon-Escario in just two weeks. This Zubuchon branch is near the hotel where I was staying in Escario Street, and instead of going to the mall for dinner, I returned to Zubuchon to check out other lechon dishes. This time, I was joined by my niece, Tuesday, who is based in Cebu. We shared a bowl of Mongo with Lechon and Boneless Lechon with 2 cups of rice. Their serving of steamed rice is small and I was craving for more but I stopped myself.:p

I forgot to take photos of their Iba (Kamias) shake, which was wonderfully refreshing.

I tasted coconut milk in the creamy mongo dish and it was yummy. The Boneless Lechon was scrumptious! The skin was crisp and tasty, the meat succulent--no need for sauce.

Monday, April 22, 2013

I stayed with my friend J for a couple of days on Holy Week when I was in Cebu. J woke me up early on Maundy Thursday and we took a 15-minute ride on her husband's motorbike to get to the new bridge in Consolacion. This 1.25-kilometer offshore bridge over Cansaga Bay provides a faster link between the sea and airports to the northern towns of Cebu.

The above photo is looking towards Mandaue City. On the left side of the bridge is a locally-owned shipyard.

By the banks of Cansaga Bay and under the bridge was a makeshift fish market where local fishermen bring their morning catch. Fish and other seafood were sold on bamboo tables under a half dozen of huts. It was Holy Week and J and her family, like most Cebuanos, observe the no-meat tradition. We were hoping to buy shrimps and crabs for lunch. It was about 7 am when we got here, and I thought we were early. I later learned that most of the action here happens before sunrise. Most of the seafoods were sold out and fishermen were already taking a break, some were taking a nap, and eating breakfast.

Luckily, there was still some fresh catch coming in and we were able to bring home shrimps, crabs, oysters and shellfish.

This reminds me of the early morning walks with my grandmother when I was a kid. My grandparents' house was about a kilometer away from the sea, and Lola (that's how we called our grandmother) would take us kids to the shores early in the morning to wait for fishermen to bring in their catch. And while our grandmother was negotiating with the fisherman, we were busy choosing small squids, shrimps and anchovies for ceviche. And the fishermen didn't charge us for our ceviche ingredients. Ah, it was a gentler time.

Cansaga Bay is an inlet where the mouth of Mactan Channel and Camotes Sea meet.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

I was looking forward to this simple dinner in Cebu last week as I was in a hurry to go back to the hotel to catch my favorite telenovella. *LOL* This is fried blue marlin with fried garlic bits, some slices of cucumber and a cup of steamed rice. I was surprised at the size of the blue marlin, it was as big as my slipper, no kidding! Love the fresh, rich, melt-in-your mouth flavor. And I was glad it's a small cup of rice.:p

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

In a small corner of Rizal Park stands "Soul Waves", sculptural waves crafted from stainless steel, a memorial erected in 2010 by the Korean community in the Philippines to remember their loved ones who perished in World War II. Soul Waves also symbolize the sacred shores of both Korea and the Philippines and the joint efforts of both countries to protect its shores.

Beside the Soul Waves is the Filipino-Korean Soldier Monument---a fitting tribute to Filipino soldiers who fought side by side with the Korean soldiers during the Korean War (1950-1953). About 7,500 combat troops known as the Philippines Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK), the 4th largest force under the United Nations command, were sent to defend South Korea from a communist invasion by North Korea which was supported by China and the Soviet Union.

Recently, North Korea declares war with South Korea and the US, and as tensions rise on the Korean Peninsula, let's all hope that cooler heads would prevail. An estimated 4 million people were killed during the Korean War.

Today, April 9th, we commemorate the "Day of Valor" in the Philippines, also known as Bataan and Corregidor Day, the Fall of Bataan during World War II.

"What a cruel thing is war: to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world; to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world."

Friday, April 5, 2013

I was at the beach in Cebu on Wednesday afternoon taking pictures of sea creatures while my friend's kids were picking sea urchins. I was waiting for the sunset until my friend told me that the sunset can be seen from the hill where we walked on earlier on the way to the beach. We retraced our steps and upon reaching the slope, I realized with a tinge of disappointment that we missed the sunset.

We got here around 6:30 PM and the horizon was not as colorful as I expected it to be.

But in a matter of seconds, orange "flames" started to get through the clouds.

In a span of 2 to 3 minutes, the sky turned fiery.

I was mesmerized.

This looks like a ball of fire falling from the sky.

It felt like the sky waited for us to be here at the right moment.

What a spectacle!

Definitely, the greatest show on earth!

"There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, where the sea's asleep and the rivers dream, people made of smoke and cities made of song..." ~ Sylvester McCoy

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From the Man in the Moon:

“The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.” ~ Elie Wiesel